Tasting - Opera Prima Sparkling Moscato

Name: Opera Prima Sparkling Moscato
Variety: Muscat
Region: La Mancha
Country: Spain
Year: 2012
Price: $7

Winery Review: Flowery and sweet smelling, then round and fairly smooth in the mouth. The bubbles and flavor package of tropical fruits galore is pleasant and shouldn't offend anyone. Finishes clean and easy. A mango boat of flavor.
- 85 Points – Wine Enthusiast

My Review: Smells like fresh autumn mixed with a bit of soap. Has a mild fluoride taste that one would find at the dentist. I also taste berries. There is a vegetal taste in there as well possibly carrots. Theres a woody taste and smell to it. Sweet and pleasant to drink. Has a sweet finish. Very tasty.

Tasting - Foxhollow Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Foxhollow Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $6

Winery Review: Rich and supple with juicy plum, blackberry and chocolate flavors and a pleasant sense of sweetness backed up by good acidity and moderate tannins. Offers early complexity and charm with real richness and depth.

My Review: It has a floral smell. Has a jam like quality to it. Many berry flavors mixing around. I detected some spice on the back of it. There was a vegetal taste possibly celery. Easy on the finish.

Tasting - Chicken & Turkey Cotes du Rhone

Name: Barton & Guestier The Pairing Collection Chicken & Turkey Cotes-du-Rhone
Variety: 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 20% Carignan
Region: Rhone Valley
Country: France
Year: 2011
Price: $6

Winery Review: Deep red garnet color with purple highlights. Intense nose of morello cherry, tobacco and liquorice. Good structure on the palate with lots of fruits and a long fruity and spicy finish. A true delight.
- 85 Points – Wine Enthusiast

My Review: It smelled very earthy. But it had a certain fragrance to it. There was an oaky quality to it. I got a lot of berries in the tasting. It finishes strong especially on the back of the tongue. It lingers a little bit.

Tasting - Foxhollow Chardonnay

Name: Foxhollow Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $6

Winery Review: This Chardonnay’s aromas of tropical pineapple, crisp green apple and citrus are supported by underlying nuances of vanilla. The finish is smooth and creamy yet balanced with enough acidity to accentuate the vibrant fruit flavors with a hint of orange blossoms.

My Review: This chardonnay had an earthy smell to it. It started out oaky. It was smooth all the way through. I tasted hints of apricot and pear. The finish was nice and clean.

Tasting - Fontana Candida Frascati

Name: Fontana Candida Frascati
Variety: 60% Malvasia Bianca di Candia, 30% Trebbiano and 10% Malvasia del Lazio
Region: Frascati
Country: Italy
Year: 2012
Price: $6

Winery Review: This Frascati, made from grapes grown in volcanic soils near Rome and cold filtered, is a pale straw gold. On the nose it offers light-as-a-zephyr lemon and a hint of grass. On the tongue it is ultra crisp and delightfully flinty, its lemon and clementine flavors as smooth as old silk. At the end of a nice clean finish a dab of ripe pear takes a bow.

My Review: It starts out with a very fruity and syrupy smell. It has a very smooth taste. It is good for easy drinking. The most flavor I got out of it was green grapes from a grocery store put into a liquid form. It finishes clean.

Tasting - Flying Dog Dead Rise

Name: Flying Dog Dead Rise
Variety: Summer Ale
Region: Maryland
Country: USA
Year: 2014
Price: $11 / 6 pack

Brewery Review: The indelible character of OLD BAY is highlighted through bright and refreshing citrus hop character and a crisp, tart finish. OLD BAY is added to the whirlpool imparting a bold aroma followed by hints of flavor throughout the beer. Finishes dry and snappy.

My Review: This beer has a lot of character. Brewed using Old Bay seasoning it has 18 herbs and spices worked into it. It has that Old Bay seasoning smell when you first open the top. Has a hoppy quality to it but finishes well. The deeper into the more the flavor really comes out.

I tasted this with crab legs. It was the perfect complement to the meal.

Tasting - Rex-Goliath Pinot Noir

Name: Rex-Goliath Pinot Noir
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: N/A
Price: $5

Winery Review: This Central Coast Cabernet has aromas of coffee, chocolate, boysenberry, blackberry & plum Flavors of spice are complemented by well-integrated tannins. The finish is moderately broad and long. The wine is well-balanced with juicy acidity.

My Review: It has a nice aroma to it. Has a coffee smell about it. The taste is not too dry. It is an easy drinking wine. The different flavors expose themselves with each taste. Tastes better than its $5 price tag would suggest. Would drink again.

I tasted this on its own without food.

Tasting - Cupcake Vineyards Red Velvet

Name: Cupcake Vineyards Red Velvet
Variety: Red Blend
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $10

Winery Review: A rich, elegant red wine with aromas of chocolate, deep dark blackberries and luscious red fruits that follow through to the palate. Finishes with a hint of coconut and creamy mocha that shows unmistakable intensity and length.

My Review: I found it very tasty. Easy to drink. On the sweet side. It has a very fruity smell. I didn't taste too much of chocolate. Definitely reminds me of Red Velvet cupcakes. I would absolutely drink again.

I tasted this wine without food.

Tasting - ChocolatRouge Sweet Red

Name: ChocolatRouge Sweet Red
Variety: Red Blend
Region: Modesto, California
Country: USA
Year: N/A
Price: $10

Winery Review: Opaque purple black color. Bold aromas and flavors of dark chocolate raspberry cake with a supple, fruity sweet medium-to-full body and a tangy, creamy finish. A very tasty chocolate dessert wine.
-Tastings.com (9/13/13) - 88

My Review: Very strong chocolate scent at first smell. It has a heaviness to it. It tastes a lot like what it is - chocolate mixed with red wine. Very easy to drink and tasty. Almost a meal/dessert in itself. I would definitely drink again.

I tasted this on its own without food.

Tasting - Rex-Goliath Moscato

Name: Rex-Goliath Moscato
Variety: 93% Muscat Alexander, Muscat Rosado, 7% other white grapes
Region: Acampo & Madera County, California
Country: USA
Year: N/A
Price: $5

Winery Review: "Rex Goliath Moscato, offers a flavor of perfumed aromas, medium sweet with stone fruit and citrus flavors."
- Nebraska Beverage Analyst, March 2011 - 85

My Review: Rex Goliath Moscato has a very fruity smell with a citrusy smell behind it. It has a sweet taste almost overpowering to the point where it leaves a bitter immediate aftertaste but gone just as quick. I couldn't drink too much of this.

I tasted this own its own without food.

First Blog Post - Wine Experiences

I never really had any experiences with wine prior to turning 21. I had a sip of wine from my dad's glass. It was cooked into the food. But I never really got to experiment and taste different varieties. Upon turning 21 I went to a friend's Wine Wednesday and was able to try various wines with a chicken and pasta dish. Though after a certain point it didn't matter what kind of wine I was drinking. Though it was tasty nonetheless.

After some time from my 21st birthday passed and liquor had become a tad boring I decided that it was time to try some wine. So I went to Kroger with a type in mind that supposedly paired well with certain foods I enjoyed. Well, I ended up walking out with 4 bottles. I wanted a broad flavor profile and different tastes. I had no idea what I liked so I picked out some popular but cheap wines. It seemed like the best way to get the most for my money.

I have determined that I like the taste of Pinot Noir right off the bat. The Cabernet Sauvignon was tough to start with but got smoother after drinking it different times and with different foods. I also tried a Cabernet Blanc and a red blend. Both were easy to drink and smooth. This was my first real opportunity to try wines and was pleasantly surprised at the outcome.

With this class I hope to learn a lot more about wine. I hope to learn about different varieties and grape types. I hope to learn about how to taste wines and the best way to get the best flavor profile out of the wine. Ultimately, I want to be able to show off to my friends my wine knowledge and act classy as hell with the wine I choose to drink.